Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said her department will distribute $25 million in grants for projects to improve patient safety and cut down on “frivolous lawsuits” against doctors in the United States.

The money will go to states and hospital systems for demonstration projects as part of President Barack Obama’s efforts to cut costs in the health care system, Sebelius said Thursday at a White House news conference. Applicants may get as much as $3.3 million.

“Though malpractice premiums themselves count for only a small percentage of total medical costs, many doctors report that they practice costly defensive medicine because they are fearful of lawsuits,” Sebelius said.

A 2003 study by the department estimated that the direct cost of medical malpractice, including insurance premiums and lawsuit expenses, amounted to 2 percent of U.S. spending on health care.

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